


Soulmate Scam

by miss_bugaboo (margaret_helstone)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Soulmate AU, Soulmates, except it's not real regular, partly because i love my twists no matter the fandom i'm in, partly because of the love square, your regular soulmate au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:56:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23842621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/margaret_helstone/pseuds/miss_bugaboo
Summary: Adrien knew who his soulmate was. Period. Ever since he'd first met her, ever since his heart had made that cheerful dance of recognition in hist chest, he'd had no doubt that she was the one – the only one – destined for him.If only said destiny didn't have other plans for him.Adrienette, Soulmate AU
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 13
Kudos: 122





	1. No One but Her

Adrien Agreste first dreamt of his soulmate on the very night of his sixteen birthday.

It wasn't anything _too_ extraordinary – it was commonly known that the vision of one's significant other half was bound to appear in one's sleep sometime during the last week preceding or the first week following their birthday. The fact that it was also universally acknowledged that it rarely happened on the night of said birthday (and that the probability of it actually happening was lower that once in fourteen times, as a simple calculus might suggest) made no difference. It wasn't irregular, it wasn't surprising. It wasn't unnatural, either.

It was a little unusual, that's all.

Now, Adrien knew all that. He'd heard various theories about soulmates as he grew up, even though the topic surely wasn't a favourite in his own household. Still, he had friends, and ones that were all eager to discuss the matter with him. Whether it was a four year old Chloe or a fourteen year old Nino ( _or_ Chloe again, as her interest in the subject had never quite seemed to cease) didn't matter much. The subject was intriguing, exciting, mysterious; it sparked interest in everyone he knew, even if they were not at all willing to admit it to their classmates like Alix or Max or even Chloe at some point.

How come Chloe was a representative for all the examples his mind brought on?

Well, that didn't really matter, either. The facts were: he was very much into the idea of soulmates. His friends were into the idea of soulmates, too.

And _that_ was not unusual at all.

Of course, the romantic in Adrien clung to the idea, imagining the moment when he would finally learn his significant half's identity. Even as a kid – or maybe especially then? - he found the idea of this half-magical bond alluring, both because of its supposed power over people's life and the mystery that it was still wrapped in. He was probably the only child on Earth who could successfully beat little Chloe in regard of enthusiasm, and one of a very few who did not lose their drive as they stepped into adolescence.

Where others faked indifference, he showed that he was thrilled; while they gave in to fear and anxiety, he spoke about his faith. He wouldn't let the anxiety take over him and extort the joy of wait, and he certainly had no intention of allowing the fear to dictate him his steps.

Which, considering the talk he'd had with his father at the wee age of eight, was a miracle of its own.

And yet, it would be a lie to say that his view on the subject did not change during the years. Not in terms of excitement – that part was a constant, even if the outer indications of it had at some point became more low-key (and well, this time it _was_ Gabriel Agreste's advice at work). The change had nothing to do with age or his classmates' view on the topic and certainly not with the teasing (or cynical) remarks he'd heard from those older and supposedly more mature than him.

Like the ones given by Audrey Burgeois whenever Chloe asked her about it.

No, the real alteration lay somewhere else and though his friends couldn't have said where if they tried to, Adrien had no problem determining it.

He _knew_.

He knew who his soulmate was. Period. Ever since he'd first met her, ever since his heart had made that cheerful dance of recognition in hist chest, he'd had no doubt that she was the one – the _only_ one – destined for him. No matter how many times she rejected him, he kept believing that it was only a matter of time before she understood the connection and realised what he'd known since day one. He hoped with all his being that she would not need an actual dream to tell her that, but if worse came to worst, he would accept that scenario as well.

As long as she chose _him_ in the end.

That didn't mean he hadn't spent the two weeks preceding his birthday being giddy with excitement, so much that even his father had taken notice of that. Gabriel didn't say much on the subject, obviously, except the casual question of whether Adrien was feeling fine or if maybe his flushed cheeks and starry gaze were in fact an indication of a nearing fever. The boy denied quickly; and yet, he didn't dare go as far as to summon the real reasons for the change in his appearance, even though that meant being sent to bed early in a way of precaution.

He knew all too well how his father reacted to the mere mentions of soulmates.

So he had nodded and followed suit. He'd made sure he acted calmly, both in and out of the house, just to make sure he wouldn't provoke any more questions of the sort. He'd almost started to hope that his father had once again forgotten when his birthday actually was.

And so it had gone on for six long days, during which he'd unconsciously ensured that his behaviour at school was just as indifferent as it was at home. Since he had never made a big deal of sharing any details about his hopes with his classmates, the change was not as noticeable as it might have appeared to be. Nino was surprised but said nothing; Alya teased him with a few comments, but did nothing but that. And as for Marinette...

Well, Marinette had seemed to be a bundle of nerves since the beginning of the week, going from pensive to excited to combative in a matter of minutes sometimes.

He _really_ hoped she was alright.

Still, no matter how much he cared for her, how much he valued her friendship and wanted to prove himself worthy of it, he couldn't bring himself to focus on her state more than on the event he was nearing. Had he had any reasons to believe she was unwell, he would have looked into it no doubt. However, he'd known her for too long not to be able to distinguish real trouble and hurt from what was nothing but confusion on her part.

It was clearly the latter that was happening this time, and Alya's words only confirmed that.

It was fine.

So it seemed to him, anyway. On the night before his birthday he was as agitated as ever, or – since it was the first time when he allowed himself to open up a little about it – even more so. He was eager, he was enthusiastic, he was ready to take on the world. He _did_ feel a little nervous, which was also a first (and probably the reason why it came as such a surprise to him, as predictable as it was) and which was quickly reflected in the way he moved and spoke.

There was edginess in his step as he paced around his room; there was a frown on his forehead and a trembling of his hands.

And yet, none of these could compete with the hope and happiness that filled his soul and fuelled his heart, radiating from his whole silhouette regardless of the anxiousness mentioned above.

It was truly miraculous that he was not glowing in a literal sense yet.

"Oh, will you just go to bed already?" Plagg whined loudly as he munched on his piece of cheese and grimaced at the boy before him. "Seriously kid, you don't even know that you will dream of her tonight. Nobody said it would be on your birthday, and even if, I'd say tomorrow still counts as your birthday night. So calm down, will you?"

"You know that I can't" Adrien answered, with mixture of joy and apprehension ringing in his voice. "It's too great to just push it aside. It's too much and too soon and yet, not nearly soon enough..."

"I swear to Fu, Adrien, you say one more word and I'll throw up all the cheese I've had today," the kwami retorted. "You really are taking it too far."

"I am _not_ ," Adrien denied. "Oh, come on, it's the most important night of my life! You could be at least a little more understanding for once."

"I've been more than understanding for the _past two weeks_. We both know that this fake indifference you displayed in front of Nathalie only worked because you felt you could take it out on me twofold as soon as she was gone. I haven't stopped you, I haven't complained – no more than I usually do, anyway. Still, even my patience has boundaries and no amount of cheese can move them any further."

"Now _that's_ new. I thought your love of cheese conquered all."

"Somehow, it fails to help with a teenage-love-caused nausea."

To that Adrien only laughed, before throwing himself down on the coach and reaching up to scratch Plagg behind the ear fondly. The little creature bristled and wiggled, pretending not to be moved by the affectionate gesture... and then gave in to it completely, purring contentedly in the same way he always did.

Adrien's grin widened at the sight.

"Come on now, I'm not _that_ annoying, am I?" he asked cheerfully as he continued to stroke Plagg's ears and chin. "Also, I bet I'm not the only Chat Noir who fell in love with Ladybug."

"As if that made it any better," Plagg muttered in response. "Seriously, I don't know what it is about that spotted costume that makes you boys lose your minds before you even have a chance to have a proper talk with her. It's unhealthy."

"Oh?" Adrien hummed, amused. "So not only am I not the first to fall for her in general, it's also an all-cats tendency for it to happen soon. Somehow, I feel relieved."

"Before it gets to your head, you should know that your was still a record time. As I said: unhealthy."

"Or maybe simply romantic?" Adrien let out a long, dreamy sigh. He kicked off his shoes and stretched on the coach comfortably, before continuing. "Also, how could I _not_ have fallen in love with her? It's not because she has made some great entrance and swept me off my feet all at once. In fact, she was the opposite of that: clumsy and insecure, a little awkward and surely lacking faith in her own skill. Hell, she was practically drowning in all that self-doubt.... And yet, that didn't stop her from trying hard."

"You mean, she delayed her great entrance for a day and then impressed you twice as much as she would have otherwise."

"You can laugh all you want, I know what I felt," once again, Adrien contradicted him. "And that 'delay', as you call it, wasn't something she'd planned – it was a natural reaction on her part but then it only showed how deep her courage truly ran. How much she had to struggle, how difficult it was to accept that new, crazy path Master Fu had chosen for us... And still, she _did_ accept that. Now, if that's not impressive, I really don't know what is."

This time, Plagg only sighed.

"There really is no talking you out of this one, is there?" he asked wearily, even though his tiny lips were curved in a small smile. "Gosh, you really are hopeless."

"I do care for her, Plagg," the boy lying next to him responded, his own voice having a new seriousness to it. "I know it seems silly. It probably was at first: a shallow crush, derived directly from my being amazed by what she did that day, contradicting Hawkmoth despite her own fears. But even if it _was_... It's been almost three years now. We became friends, and partners, and... so much _more_ , even if still refuses to see it in a romantic light. She _is_ my soulmate, Plagg. There's no one else that could take that role but her."

"And what if you're wrong?" Plagg suggested quietly.

Adrien shook his head. "I can't be. It's just not an option, not when even the Guardian of the Miraculous called us one another's yin and yang."

"Except in this case the yin and the yang may remain platonic and still work just fine."

For the first time in week's Adrien felt the kind of anxiety that was not accompanied by the usual enthusiasm and faith. His brow furrowed as he gazed up at his friend, his heart speeding up while his blood ran cold; his jaw tightening unconsciously as he thought it over in his mind.

"You can't really mean that."

Once again, Plagg sighed, and flew closer to the boy's side.

"Look, I don't want to scare you here," he explained evenly. "I'm not saying that you should give up on her, or that you should lose all faith and resign yourself to a life with some random girl who will surely take her place. I _don't know_ if she'll appear in your dreams today – heck, we can't even be sure if it really will be _today_. But that's what this whole thing is about, Adrien: no one can be certain about this thing until it's actually happened. I know how you feel about her; I know you want your special dream to confirm what you've believed so far. And you know that I want you to be happy."

"So where's the hatch?" Adrien asked.

"No hatch. I just... I just want you to make room for a possibility where it's not Ladybug who turns out to be your other half. So that you're at least in some way prepared if that's the case. Can you promise me to try that?"

Adrien's reply wasn't an immediate one. Quite the opposite: the boy seemed to be taking full advantage of the time he had, staying silent for as long as appeared proper to him – and then a little longer than that. Motionless, he lay like he did before, with only his eyes shifting; and even they remained fixed on one spot on the ceiling, after he'd looked away from Plagg's solemn face.

Because that was no light matter.

Adrien was well aware of that, of course. It wasn't that his buoyant demeanour was an act, or that it was his way of fighting the fears that had somehow found way to the very core of his vulnerable heart. He wasn't _hiding_ behind it – simply because he had already faced those fears a long time ago.

How could he not have, with Ladybug rejecting him so many times so far? He might have been naive to some, but he wasn't stupid for sure. He wasn't selfish, either, and for that reason he simply _had to_ consider a situation in which his Lady did not respond to his affection, no matter how many dreams of one another they'd shared.

She meant everything to him – he wasn't going to throw himself at her if she was certain she couldn't love him back.

No matter how much the mere thought of it hurt him.

"I just can't imagine it being anyone but her," he said softly (a little longingly) at last. "I know it still _might_ be. Someone I've never thought of before or maybe even someone I haven't even met yet. But it's like... it's something the logical part of me realises, while the more emotional side screams to forget it as something completely absurd. My brain tells me to keep my options open; my heart calls me a traitor for even considering that."

He rolled over to his stomach and rested his chin on his folded arms. "So yes, I _do_ have room for such a possibility. And if my soulmate turns out to be someone who _isn't_ Ladybug, I promise you to do my best to know her and to love her, even if it's in a very different way. I just -"

He stopped abruptly; then he pressed his face against his arms and muttered, "I just pray to God that I don't have to."

Again, silence fell on the room, with nothing but the sound of the two of them breathing to disturb it. It was Plagg's turn to caress his Chosen, with a gentle touch of his little paw brushing the cheek of the boy he was supposed to protect. Adrien smiled weakly at the display and turned his head a bit, just enough to be able to see the kwami with more than his mind's eye.

"You really should just go to bed, you know," Plagg murmured with his usual fatigue. "Otherwise you'll fall asleep right here and then wake up from discomfort in the middle of your most important night. And you wouldn't want to do that halfway through that soulmate dream, would you?"

"I sure would not," Adrien agreed readily. He lifted himself up and jumped off the coach in one swift movement, yawning and stretching as he stood up. "I still need a shower though – which is all the more annoying if I think it may actually chase my sleepiness away. And not being able to fall asleep, tonight of all nights... Now, that would be far worse than the disrupted sleep you mentioned before."

"Well, I'd say the amount of sleep you've been getting lately is the best guarantee of good rest tonight," Plagg offered derisively. "You hardly slept at all because of your excitement, it should have been enough to wear you out."

Adrien couldn't help but yawn again.

"You're right. It _has_ ," he admitted. "Alright, shower it is. Then I'm gonna go straight to bed, tuck myself in and just _relax_. That should be an invitation enough for my body and mind to feel the sleepiness as well, right?"

And then he was off, determined not to lose another minute of this very precious time. He was back in no time, calm and warmed up, more than ready to face the destiny that – he was sure of it – was finally going to show its face to him that night.

It was a few minutes past ten when he reached his bed at last; it was half past when he finally fell asleep. His dream came to him at three, at the darkest hour and the most trying time.

And when the sun showed itself some time around five...

...it found him sitting up abruptly, with a cold sweat flowing down his neck and his big green eyes wide with shock and fright.

Because he _hadn't_ dreamt of Ladybug that night.


	2. The Look in Your Eyes

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was months away from her sixteenth birthday and yet, she was hardly calmer than her blond friend that night.

Or on any other night in the preceding week, to be frank.

Now, if one knew Marinette a little bit, they were not at all surprised by the situation or the reasons behind it. Each and every one of her classmates – all except one – could easily notice her nervousness as well as answer the question of why she was like this in the first place. They didn't judge her or tease her (not too much, anyway); they just smiled a little pityingly and shook their heads at her, though again, most of them cheered for her silently with all their might at the same time.

Marinette knew it and even though the thought still made her blush, she couldn't feel anything but grateful for that.

Now however, was not the time to think of her friends, or her best friends, or even about the one most important boy in the whole world that had been the direct cause of her distress in these past few days; and the reason for it was simple.

She was, once again, horribly late to school.

"Come on, come on, come _on_!" she cried out with despair as she ran around her room, looking for the small parcel she had prepared last night but which for some reason could no longer be found in the morning. "It has to be here, somewhere! I made sure to get everything ready last evening so that _this_ wouldn't happen. Ugh! For once I absolutely _can't_ be late and of course, this happens!"

"Well, it's not like you _can_ be late on other occasions, really," she heard Tikki's sweet, though slightly teasing voice coming from behind. "And it's not like it's the first time you _are_ , either."

"Very funny," Marinette replied wryly. "But it's really not a good time for jokes. I need to find that gift, Tikki, or it's all ruined! Again!"

"Don't you think that 'ruined' is a rather strong word?"

"It's the only fitting one! It's Adrien's _sixteenth_ birthday and you know how important it is for everyone, and _especially_ for him, even though I know he's done all in his might to seem indifferent in front of us and... And if I fail to give him his present properly this year, I may never have another chance! For all I know, he will be spending all of his next birthdays with his perfect other half and it will be just weird for me to gift him with anything then, and even if he _doesn't_ I will sure have lost all faith in myself by that time. I mean, if I can't do it for three years in a row, why should I expect it to happen on the fourth. And this _is_ my third attempt, so -"

"Okay, okay, calm down silly," Tikki cut her off with a small laugh. "First of all, you gave him wonderful little gifts both on his last birthday and the one before that. The first time there was a misunderstanding you chose not to correct; on the second there was one of the toughest akuma attacks we've seen so far, so as much as I wish you hadn't forgotten to sign the gift, I'm not at all surprised that you did. And unlike last year, you'll actually have a chance to see him at school today."

"Yeah, unless Hawkmoth decides to use today for yet another ploy of his," Marinette mumbled angrily as she bent down to search for the lost package under her desk. "I don't know what it is he's got against Adrien, sending an akuma on his birthday each time. Or mine, for that matter."

"It's probably just a coincidence. Everything will be alright today, you'll see!"

"I'll believe it when I see it. Besides, it doesn't matter if Hawkmoth strikes today or not if I can't even find the gift in the first place!"

Tikki let out a long sigh. "Have you checked your backpack?"

Marinette straightened up abruptly at the question – or she would have, if not for the desk that happened to be right above her head.

"Ouch!" she groaned, annoyed, before turning towards Tikki again. "My backpack? Of course I have. It's the first place I looked into!"

"And you're sure it's not hidden in one of the many pockets it's got?" the kwami insisted. "Or maybe hidden under your sketchbook or tablet... Or that fabric sample you shove inside for Alya to see? That parcel really was tiny, it wouldn't have been difficult for you to miss it; especially in such a frantic search."

"I -"

"Marinette!" she was once again interrupted, this time by her mother calling from downstairs.

Still massaging her head, the girl sighed impatiently.

"I'm coming!" she called back; then she turned towards Tikki once more and said, "Fine, I'll check the backpack. Can you please pass me my phone while I do?"

Too much in a hurry to wait for the confirmation, Marinette took her backpack in her hands and rummaged through it, hoping against hope that Tikki's advice wouldn't prove as useless as it had seemed to her at first. To her surprise, her quiet prayer was answered, as her fingers soon brushed against the slick wrapping paper. She grabbed the item and pulled it out, just to make sure it was what she was looking for – and sighed again, relieved, when her assumption turned out to be correct.

"Okay, you win this time," she grumbled playfully and put both the package and her phone into her backpack before reaching out to scratch Tikki under her chin. "Though I am a little suspicious. Are you sure you didn't put it inside when I wasn't looking?"

"I wouldn't _dare_ ," Tikki responded with mock seriousness, but chuckled right after. Marinette joined her readily...

...and then she remembered how late it really was.

She was out of her room and house in no time, sprinting towards her school as if her life had depended on it. Not for the first time, she thanked the fate for living so close to the old building; and as she looked at her phone now, her gratitude grew even more.

"Five full minutes before the class? Now _that's_ something I did not see coming today!"

Marinette turned around abruptly and saw her best friend of three years laughing good-heartedly at her. She rolled her eyes at the display but smiled fondly all the same.

"I see I'm going to be an object of jokes all day today," she replied with a feigned offence. "Now that's exactly what I need to keep me going."

"Oh, come on, you know I'm kidding," Alya responded with a playful nudge. "Also, you know my assumption was well-grounded at least. After all..."

"It wouldn't have been the first time I was late. Yeah, I know."

" _And_ today is important."

"Yeah. I guess."

"You _guess_?" Alya's warm smile turned derisive. "Girl, it's _Adrien's birthday_. Don't even try to pretend that you're anywhere close to being cool about this. I _know_ that you're not."

She was shoved away by her blushing friend before she'd finished talking, but only laughed at the display, making her companion roll her eyes at her. Although unable to restrain from smiling herself, Marinette could do nothing but roll her eyes at Alya's childishness while simultaneously wishing to respond with a just as childish gesture of sticking out her tongue on her part.

Tempting as it was, she limited herself to the former.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, you traitor," she replied, feigning offence. "At least I won't feel obliged to tell you _anything_ about how it went when I _have_ talked to Adrien and given him what I have prepared. Which is really good, as it's one thing fewer to worry about today..."

With a smug expression reflecting on her face she turned away from the other girl and began to ascend the wide stairs the led towards the entrance of her school. She had not made two steps however, when she was pulled back by the arm again and swirled around to face her friend, who had somehow managed to get herself more pumped about all this than Marinette was.

Or at least, more than Marinette _seemed to be_ , anyway.

Heavens knew how much of a mess Marinette really was inside.

She needed to keep appearances up, however, or all of her hard work would go down the drain, _again_. It wasn't because it would change the way Adrien perceived her when she finally did talk to him – she knew for a fact that no matter how much of a crazy, stuttering disaster she was, he was still going to act with the same kind understanding towards her.

Here was the thing though: she didn't want to be a disaster anymore. She was perfectly aware that it was hardly possible for her to act all cool and confident around him of course, and certainly not at the time so critical as this; but that was something she was okay with. Still, she hoped she could find her place somewhere in between those two extremes, and since keeping up a slightly fake image seemed to be working just fine, she certainly wasn't going to change her strategy in that regard.

And if it meant seeing Alya freak out in her stead, then it was not an unwelcome benefit.

"Oh, no, you won't," she heard Alya shout a moment after, her friend’s hand still grasping her arms tightly. "I'm not letting you out of my sight today, not for one darn second. And surely not until you explain you current behaviour, Miss Suddenly-I'm-confident-for-no-reason-at-all!"

"Right, because having you hover over me while I talk to Adrien is exactly what I was hoping for today," Marinette retorted with a grin. "Now, wouldn't that be romantic. Also, I believe you can let go of me now. I'm not going to run away, you know."

Alya snorted and shook her head at this.

"I've known you long enough not to be at all sure about that," she parried easily." As for your chitchat, I'd rather have you talk to him unromantically than not talk to him at all. Come on, Mari: we both know that my being there is the only guarantee that you _won't_ flee as soon as your eyes meet."

"I won't. I promise," Marinette responded with as much ease as she could muster. "Now, can you _please_ stop squeezing my arm? You're gonna give me bruises."

Albeit unwillingly, Alya submitted to her request.

"Thanks a lot," Marinette said, smilingly. "Now let's go before all of that extra time I've got melts away, shall we? The last thing I want is to start the day with yet another walk of shame as I enter Miss Mendeleyev's class. I do _not_ wish to get on her bad side today."

"Even if it's because of a very romantic, very life-changing and _very_ undisturbed soulmate-birthday conversation with your the love of your life?"

"What does that even _mean_?"

"On your left, honey."

Refraining from another roll of her bluebell eyes, Marinette followed her best friend's advice and shifted her gaze towards were Alya was nodding. Her eyes widened in panic when she saw the all too familiar silver car pulling up and the blonde-haired boy of her dreams stepping out of it a moment later – and suddenly saw all of her plans go right out of the window, regardless of the thought and care she'd put into it before.

Gosh, it really was getting worse by the year.

"I think I gotta... go," she stammered, her eyes still fixed on Adrien who, for some strange reason, had not raised his own eyes at them yet. "Yeah, I definitely gotta go. Miss Mendeleyev is waiting and we sure don't want to get on her nerves so early in the morning, right? I can always talk to Adrien during lunch break, so we'd better -"

"Oh, for Pete's sake," Alya exclaimed wearily, successfully making her feel even more at loss. Next she knew, Marinette was being grabbed by _both_ of her shoulders and then pushed _down the stairs_ by who was supposed to be her _most loyal friend..._

...and right into the arms of the poor and unsuspecting Adrien.

_One of these days, I'm gonna_ _do something to_ _her,_ Marinette thought automatically, while at the same time she tried _not_ to think too much about how close Adrien was to her. His long neck right about the level of her eyes; his collarbones millimetres away from her nose and cheeks; his fingers, tightened around her arms as he steadied her after he'd saved her from her fall.

In any other circumstances, she might think of it as romantic, their bodies close and their breaths intermingling; instead, she felt nothing but utter, infinite embarrassment.

She could swear she could feel her blood run cold and then boil simultaneously, her knees buckling while her feet itched to run as far away as she could.

Damn, could it really not have gone well this one, freaking time?

"I'm – I'm sorry," she choked out when she had finally – miraculously – found her balance and managed to stand up straight again. "I didn't see you coming – I mean, I _did_ , I just didn't think you were this close – and then I fell for – ON you! - and sweet macaron, I'm rambling, so basically I just -"

She trailed off upon meeting his eyes, taken aback by the hollowness and uncertainty she spotted in them. It was not a look she was used to; not the bright, cheerful gaze he usually welcomed her with. There was no sign of amusement or shock or even concern – nothing she might expect after her undoubtedly unexpected (albeit unintentional) assault.

For the first time in forever the look he was giving her was _bleak_.

"I just wanted to say hi," she concluded in a much quieter, yet also much less faltering tone, and then added. "It's good to see you again."

He gave her the tiniest of smiles but said nothing, his green eyes still boring into her face as if he'd been searching for answers hidden in it. Marinette felt her cheeks flush under his stare and gulped nervously, her agitation only growing as she remembered that, most likely, Alya was still standing right behind her – however, Adrien didn't seem to care.

Then again, he didn't appear to care much about anything at all.

"Um... You can let go of me now, you know. I'm not going to collapse if you do," she tried again, forcing herself to smile lopsidedly at him.

She saw his eyes widen in realisation and felt his grip on her loosen immediately after. It was Adrien who was sheepish now, taking a step back and letting his arms drop down as if he'd been burnt, or perhaps feared that it was _him_ who might burn _her_. He raised his hand to rub his neck next and then let it fall again, hesitant, perturbed, confused.

It was as someone had decided to swap their personalities for the day, or maybe just allowed her usual awkwardness to infect him as well.

It was so unlike him that Marinette nearly forgot about her own massive turbulence.

"Adrien? Are you alright?" she asked almost automatically. "You seem rather... pale. Have you got enough sleep tonight?"

The flash of pain reflected in his eyes, taking her completely by surprise. She had no idea why such an innocent question should have caused such a violent and very unpleasant reaction on his part, however, before she'd managed to inquire about it, Adrien shook his head decidedly and summoned his own constrained smile.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he assured her hastily; Marinette heard the false notes ringing in his voice easily, but decided to ignore them and just let him speak this time. "Don't worry about me. And it's good to see you, too."

"Oh. Yes. I mean, if you say so," she replied a little too quickly and immediately wished to slap herself. "It's good to see you – oh, wait, I've already said that. I'm sorry, I hoped it would be a little better today, but it looks like I'm my own usual mess. Not that it's anything new."

Adrien's smile grew a little warmer at that. "Well, that makes the two of us. Being a mess, that is."

"Does it?"

"Yeah."

"You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"

"Marinette, I think you're too smart to fall for something like that."

"I beg to differ," she murmured under her breath. "Hold on, but that would mean..."

"What?"

"That you lied!" she exclaimed before she could think better of it. "You're not fine at all. That's what being a mess means – it's like the opposite of alright. Unless it's me I guess, since that's a natural state for me so it would make no sense to complain about it, but _that is not the point_!"

She was staring him straight in the eye, waiting for a response to her unexpected little speech. Her sudden confidence dissolved into nothing as soon as she'd realised what she'd just done, of course, and yet, something in her just kept her from giving in to her usual instincts that were currently screaming at her to spin on her heel and disappear from the scene.

She might've been bad at acting around him; but she would not let her cowardice stop him from helping him if he needed it.

"I... I suppose you've caught me then," she heard him speak at last, his hand once again raised to rub the back of his neck. "So yes, I am a mess. It's... it's been a pretty tough night for me, plus it looks like I've skipped breakfast today as well, so I'm hardly in my best shape."

His eyes were cast down now and the longer he spoke, the more certain Marinette was that whatever he was dealing with was much bigger than he was willing to admit.

She fought the urge to turn around and check if Alya was, in fact, still observing her and was rewarded when she heard her being dragged away by Nino a moment later. She couldn't help the grin that sprung onto her lips at the sound of his suggestions and then some protests on Alya's part, all concluded by Alix's (when had _she_ got there?) loud exclamation about giving 'that hopeless girl of theirs' some privacy. Subconsciously, Marinette held her breath for as long as she could hear their voices behind her back – and sighed with relief when they'd finally faded away.

Her eyes were back to Adrien next and suddenly, all of her worries were there again.

_It's not the time for you to feel sorry for yourself, though_ , she chided herself in her thoughts. _For whatever reason, Adrien is looking miserable at best and as his friend – you_ _ **are**_ _friends – it's your duty to think of that first._

She took a deep breath.

_Here comes nothing, I guess._

"Hey, look at me, will you?" she encouraged him gently and was pleasantly surprised to see that the simple words were enough. "It's okay not to be okay. And I'm here if you need – or just want – to talk. But if you don't... that's fine, too. I sure don't want to bother you even more if you _are_ feeling bad."

"You're not bothering me," Adrien replied immediately and with confidence that nearly made Marinette blush again. "You couldn't be. Not ever."

She chuckled nervously. "Well, that's good to know."

"Come on, it's not like you could really think -"

He was cut off by the sound of the school bell going off. Focused on their little conversation, they both jumped, startled and just this time, Marinette was not at all convinced that she had been the one more taken aback. In a natural reflex, she turned towards the school door; now, slightly calmer, she turned back to Adrien with a chuckle, ready to comment on their shared inattentiveness and then suggest going inside after all, before Miss Mendeleyev saw they were missing.

As she did, however, she was met with a pair of big green eyes so full of anxiety that it made her stupid giggles die away instantly.

"Adrien...?"

"I _do_ need to talk to you," he announced unexpectedly. "As soon as possible."

Marinette eyed him carefully, once again amazed by the change in his attitude. "Of course. We can find a spot after this class or if it's a longer talk you need, we can go somewhere during the lunch break and -"

She stopped abruptly when she saw the plea in his gaze, soft, wounded and helpless. He didn't say a word and yet, she understood it all.

"Alright," she agreed. "Is the library good enough for you?"


End file.
